What Price Perfection?
by BrilliantDarkness
Summary: Savannah has a serial rapist...yeah that's the whole summary. Oh except that I might have rated it high but there will be discussion of violence and sexual assault. Involves whole team.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: For anyone with medical knowledge, in advance, I realize that the use of certain drugs might now seem right. I am taking a bit of artistic license. I try to keep things as real as possible but you wouldn't believe how hard it can be to research certain things. I am possibly on an FBI watch list myself for some of the stuff I google. Enough of an apology…please read on and I hope you enjoy this story. And I hope I can figure out how to end it properly.

A dark room, moonlight streams in through open windows partially illuminating a sleeping woman. The shadowy figure of a man appears at the window holding a knife. The man slices the screen, gaining access to the room. The intruder pulls a syringe from his satchel. He quickly spots a vein on the sleeping woman's foot and plunges the needle in. She wakes as the needle pierces her skin. She lets out half a yelp before she is no longer able to speak. The drug has immobilized and silenced her but she is awake and aware. The fear is readily evident in her wide eyes as she is rolled on her back to face her masked attacker. The man tears away her nightclothes and rapes her. Once finished, he traces the knife along her neck and across the features of her face settling on her nose.

At the BAU, the team is filing into the conference room.

Hotch: What do you have for us J.J.?

J.J.: Savannah has a serial rapist. Three women so far. This is Lisa Adams. Two weeks ago she was assaulted in her own bed. She was drugged, raped and her hair was cut off with a knife so brutally that pieces of her scalp were cut off. Next was Jodi Langston. The same, drugged, raped and then her breasts were sliced open. Then last night, Nathalie Evans was drugged and raped in her bed. Her nose was nearly cut off.

Rossi: Drugged? So the victims were unconscious?

J.J.: Not exactly, our unsub is using a carefully measured dose of succinocholine. It is a paralytic.

Prentiss: They're aware?

J.J.: Paralyzed but aware.

Hotch: Garcia, I need you to start working the backgrounds of these women for our victimology. Look for anything at all they might have in common. The rest of you, we're wheels up in 30.

On the jet, the team is huddling around the case files.

Rossi's voice: "Some beautiful things are more impressive when left imperfect than when too highly finished."-Francois de La Rochefoucould.

Prentiss: The victims are immobilized first…while they are still asleep. Is our unsub insecure about his ability to overpower them?

Reid: I don't think that's the issue at all. If you can imagine sleeping one moment and then the next you are awake and aware. Being attacked but not able to move or speak. Fear is the motive here. He needs their fear. He's a sadist.

Garcia: Greetings my intrepid teammates.

Morgan: Hey Baby Girl, what'd you find out?

Garcia: I'm still digging but so far I've got bupkas. Not only did all of these women live in different parts of town, they went to different gyms, grocery stores, doctors, beauty shops, everything. Aside from the yucky guy with the knife, I can't find a single thing they have in common.

Hotch: Thanks Garcia, keep looking, okay?

Garcia: Your wish is my command, Sir.

Hotch: We're landing soon. Prentiss and J.J. go to the hospital and talk to Nathalie Evans. Morgan, Reid, Rossi-you guys head over to her apartment. I'll be meeting up with a detective Barnes. She was first on the scene last night.

J.J. and Prentiss walk down a hospital corridor. They pause outside of a room as a doctor emerges.

Prentiss (showing her credentials): Emily Prentiss and Jennifer Jareau, we're here to speak with Nathalie Evans. How is she doing?

Doctor: Needless to say, she is shaken up. We've consulted a surgeon and the damage to her face should be repairable. Physically, she is very lucky but psychologically, it's going to be a long road for her.

J.J.: Is she up to speaking with us?

Doctor: She's tired but you're welcome to talk to her. Just try not to upset her anymore.

J.J.: Thank you, Doctor.

The two agents walk into the room and come face to face with Nathalie. She is a pretty blonde of about 25. Even with the bandages on her nose and her eyes puffy and red from crying, she is still very pretty.

Prentiss: Hello Nathalie. I'm Emily Prentiss and this is Jennifer Jareau-J.J., we're with the FBI. Do you feel up to talking with us?

Nathalie (shrugging): Sure. I don't know what I can tell you though. I didn't see his face.

J.J.: Sometimes the tiniest detail can be very helpful.

Prentiss: We already know what happened but we really need to get this in your words. You were asleep and then what?

Nathalie: I felt a stinging in my foot. I tried to move but someone was rolling me onto my back. I tried to scream but I couldn't make a sound. I couldn't move at all. Then he…he-

Nathalie dissolves into tears and J.J. takes her hand to comfort her.

J.J.: It's alright, we know what happened next. Do you remember anything about him? Could you estimate height, weight?

Nathalie (takes a deep breath before speaking): I guess average height. It was hard to tell because I was lying down. Fairly muscular build but not bulky.

Prentiss: I know you said he wore a mask…did you see any of his skin to know what race he might have been?

Nathalie: Nothing was exposed that I could see. I couldn't move my head to look down.

Prentiss: Did he say anything to you?

Nathalie: When he cut my nose, he said, "When will you learn?" What does that even mean?!

Prentiss: We don't know but I promise you that we will do everything in our power to find out and find this creep.

Nathalie: Agents?

Both women look up.

Nathalie: I don't know how much this helps but he smelled like cigarette smoke.

J.J.: Nathalie, you have been very helpful. Please if you think of anything at all or if you just need to talk, call us.

Nathalie nods and J.J. squeezes her hand in a goodbye.

A/N: Me again...yeah I know about the succinocholine thing. You don't need to tell me. As I said, artistic license. still angry at later chapters but will get it all done...promise. Well, if you like it so far. Please review. I really like hearing what everyone thinks...even when there are criticisms. Okay, especially when there are criticisms.


	2. Chapter 2

At the crime scene, Morgan, Rossi and Reid are all wandering around doing their own things.

Rossi (looking at the window): The screen is cut clean out.

Morgan (looking at the bed and around at the furniture): Not a single thing disrupted except what the paramedics moved. If not for the blood on the pillow and the torn up PJ's, I wouldn't think anything had happened here at all.

Rossi: Anything jumping out at you, Reid?

Reid (going through the mail on the kitchen table): Cable bill, pizza ad…nothing that isn't in the mail pile of every woman-heck, everyone-in the city. Oh, there's a day planner here…

Rossi: Keep looking, there's got to be something.

Morgan (rooting through waste baskets in bedroom and bathroom): Nothing here…apparently the unsub brings everything he needs with him and leaves none of it behind.

Rossi: So we know he has a kit prepared.

Reid: There's nothing in this planner. Work related meetings and an appointment at a hair salon. The address section has family members and female friends.

Rossi: Well, there had to be some reason she was chosen.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hotch walks into the police station and is immediately approached by a very serious and tired looking woman.

Det. Barnes: Agent Hotchner? I'm Abby Barnes…we spoke on the phone.

Hotch shakes her hand.

Hotch: The rest of my team will be along shortly. I wanted to touch base with you first and see what you have so far.

Det. Barnes: Not a hell of a lot. No offense but that's why you're here.

Hotch: None taken. That's usually the case for us. Any forensic evidence?

Det. Barnes: Absolutely nothing. We dusted for prints and came up empty. The victim's confirmed that their attacker was wearing latex gloves. Rape kits performed on each victim were negative for semen. We did, however, find traces of a spermicidal consistent with a condom. There were no hairs on or around the victims that didn't belong there and no foreign fibers.

Hotch: Was anything taken from the victims?

Det. Barnes: So far each woman has confirmed that one piece of jewelry was missing though none of the pieces were valuable or even of any sentimental value.

Hotch: And all of the women called 911 themselves?

Det. Barnes: That's right. Each reported to us that the drug wore off within 15 minutes of the attacker leaving and once they could move, they called for help.

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Later, when the team is reunited, they are still working on piecing together a profile from the nothing they seem to have.

Hotch: One more time…what do we know so far?

Morgan: Well, he's meticulous, sadistic-

Prentiss: And a smoker.

Reid: Use of succinocholine suggests some medical knowledge. Especially since the women are given enough to immobilize but not to cause respiratory arrest.

Rossi: Not a hell of a lot to go on yet. If only we could figure out why he's cutting them. It means something.

At this last statement, Reid's head jerks up.

Morgan: You think of something?

Reid: Yeah…I don't know…maybe. (Reid shuffles through the files collected so far) Um…Jodi Langston was cut across her breasts exposing her implants, right?

Prentiss: Yeah…so?

Reid (barely acknowledging her): And Nathalie Evans is getting another reconstructive surgery consult from the doctor who did her first rhinoplasty?

Morgan: I see where you're going with this but why nearly scalp Lisa Adams if this has to do with plastic surgery?

Reid: Lisa Adams is blonde in her picture. Was that natural?

Prentiss (hurriedly finding the picture): No, see the dark roots?

Rossi: I think we have a profile now.

J.J. (running up to Rossi with a sheet of paper): Hold on, you may want to add this to it.

Hotch: What is it?

J.J.: This letter just arrived at the Savannah Gazette. Identical letters were also sent to the offices of every other newspaper in the city as well as every television station. I've got everyone holding off on running the story until we decide the best move.

Hotch: Reid, what do you make of it?

Reid: It's typed so there's no handwriting analysis. (reading aloud) "I have exposed the fraud. The vapid and soulless will always remember."

Morgan: So this is some sort of statement against plastic surgery? That's all?

Reid: No, it's much more personal than that. Typing the note leads me to believe there's a lot of emotion for our unsub. He's smart and careful and knows his writing would betray his emotions.

Prentiss: Vapid and soulless?

Reid (frowns slightly): Morgan…

Morgan (grabbing his phone): Right with you, Kid.

Garcia: Go ahead, make my day.

Morgan: Hey, Mama, we've got a theme here-cosmetic surgery.

Garcia: Never touch the stuff.

Morgan: You got no need to, Gorgeous. We know Nathalie went to a Dr. Emile Hastings and Jodi Langston got her implants from a Dr. Renee Johansson. You think you can cross reference employee records for me? Anything in common at all.

Garcia: On it.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: This is a relatively short chapter but in the words of Fats Waller, "Sometimes it just be's that way."

--------------

Everyone is gathered for the profile.

Hotch: To begin with, we are looking for a white male in his mid-thirties to forties. He is highly intelligent and most likely has some sort of background in medicine as well as law enforcement.

Rossi: Whatever he actually does for a living, he feels underappreciated. It's possible that he is in a position where he has a female supervisor. He wants the women to fear and keep fearing.

Reid: His attempt to contact the media is a furtherance of this need to cause fear. While most unsubs contact the media to taunt law enforcement, this letter suggests that he wants to watch the panic that would ensue from publishing this letter.

Hotch: It is highly unlikely that he is in a relationship although he probably was at one time. If he wasn't married, it was a long term relationship.

Morgan: He especially has something against cosmetic surgery. Whatever happened to end that relationship, he blames plastic surgery.

Prentiss: We can't rule out that the plastic surgery angle has a different significance for him either. Possibly he works for a plastic surgeon's office or something to that effect.

Det. Barnes: Tell me again why we aren't running this profile at a press conference.

Rossi: The same reason we aren't going to allow the media to print the letters. Because he wants us to. He wants the terror and panic through your city. We are, in effect, denying he exists. This should make him angry. He is much more likely to make mistakes when he's angry.

Det. Barnes: so we just wait for him to rape and disfigure another woman?

J.J.: With so little forensic evidence, it's really all we can do.

--------

In another darkened bedroom, another woman is being assaulted. Before the attacker can even pick up his knife, she stops breathing.

Unsub: No! No! No!

Hurriedly, he grabs as much of his stuff as he can very quickly gather and bolts back out the window.

A short while later:

Operator: 911, what is your emergency?

Unsub: 142 Oak St. She wasn't supposed to die.

The line goes dead.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Just me...I needed to put a couple of twists in this chapter. Not completely sold on how the next couple of chapters will go and even I don't know who the unsub is right now. Hope you're along for the ride with me.

---------------------------------------------------------

The team is gathering at the home of Chelsea McCann.

Morgan: Screen's cut away like the others.

Rossi: But the place is a mess.

Reid: Killing Chelsea wasn't part of the plan. It looks like the unsub panicked.

Prentiss: He left the syringe-

Morgan: And a used condom.

Hotch: Garcia just sent us the recording of the 911 call.

The team quiets to listen. When the recording has finished, Hotch cocks an eyebrow at Reid.

Reid: He sounds genuinely upset that she died and very conflicted as well.

Prentiss: Conflicted?

Reid: There was surely a powerful feeling and probably an adrenaline rush at having killed. But at the same time, Chelsea isn't alive to be in fear of him. So the rush is over. He has to decide now whether the heightened rush outweighs the continued feeling of power that he feels over his first victims.

Hotch: J.J. we need to talk to the media now.

------------

J.J. stands at the podium in front of a throng of reporters. The press conference is now winding down.

J.J.: I cannot stress enough that panic will do more harm than good.

Reporter: How does the FBI defend keeping this man a secret?

J.J.: We weren't convinced at first that they were all perpetrated by the same offender.

Reporter: And now that he's killed someone?

J.J.: We are quite confident that was just a sloppy copycat. That will be all for now.

J.J. leaves the press conference amid questions still being shouted at her.

Once back among her teammates, she sighs noticeably and relaxes completely dropping her press conference demeanor.

J.J. (looking to Hotch): Is that what you were looking for?

Hotch: Exactly.

Det. Barnes: I still don't get this.

Reid: Our unsub is out there hoping to replace the fear that he feels should be coming from Chelsea McCann with the fear of every woman in Savannah.

Det. Barnes: Isn't he just going to go out and find another victim like he did before when he was angry?

Prentiss: He's also getting off on being smarter than us. Right now we're looking awfully dense to him. He'll most likely be trying to think of ways to straighten us out and make sure he gets credit for everything he has done. He's also trying to make a statement here, remember?

Morgan: That makes him most likely to try contacting the media again or even us directly. That buys us time to work the profile.

Morgan's phone rings.

Morgan: Give it to me Baby Girl.

Garcia: Ooh, I love it when you talk dirty.

Morgan: Behave yourself now; I'm putting you on speaker.

Garcia: It took a lot of digging but apparently both plastic surgeons share a billing service. I did a little further checking-not all of it strictly legal-and discovered that Lisa Adams' primary care physician also uses that service.

Hotch: Great work, Garcia-

Garcia: I love the thanks and all but wait until I've truly earned it, Sir. I am so not finished. There are only two men currently employed in non-supervisory positions. Carl Dunlop and Ethan Peltier. You should be getting last knowns on them now.

Morgan: Thanks, Mama.

------------

Prentiss and Rossi are standing outside of a rather nondescript apartment building. Momentarily they see an equally nondescript man approaching. He is a short, doughy man whose wardrobe and demeanor could best be described as beige.

Rossi: Carl Dunlop? I'm Agent Rossi and this is Agent Prentiss. We're with the FBI. Could we ask you a few questions?

Dunlop: I…I guess so. C'mon inside.

As the agents follow Carl Dunlop into his apartment, they are sizing him up.

Prentiss: Physically, I don't see how this could be our guy. All of the victims said the unsub was average height and well built. Not short and paunchy.

Dunlop: Can I ask what this is about?

Rossi: We're just running down a few leads in the recent rapes. Eliminating suspects.

Dunlop: You think I had something to do with that?

Rossi: There's a connection between the victims and it led to you possibly.

Prentiss: Where were you at about one this morning?

Dunlop: Sleeping. I get up at six. I'm always in bed after the night time news.

Rossi: I don't suppose anyone can confirm that?

Dunlop: I live alone. But I couldn't do anything like what you're saying.

Prentiss: Would you be willing to give us a DNA sample?

Dunlop: Of course.

As the agents leave, they compare notes.

Rossi: Run the DNA just to be sure but don't hold your breath.

Prentiss: He's definitely not our unsub.

---------

Morgan and Reid are standing on the front porch of a house. Morgan knocks on the door. After a few moments, the door opens and at first the agents see no one. Until they lower their sight line and see the man in the wheelchair.

Morgan: Ethan Peltier?

Peltier: Yes. Who are you?

Morgan: Agents Morgan and Reid. FBI. We are just eliminating suspects from our list.

Reid: Can I ask how long you've been in the wheelchair?

Peltier: Five years. Drunk driver…I'm paralyzed from the waist down.

Morgan: Thank you for your time and we're sorry for the disruption.

As Morgan and Reid walk away from the house:

Morgan: Prentiss and Rossi struck out too. What do we do now, Genius?

Reid: Go back and look for what we missed.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, after my little hiatus, I feel like I can finish this story. Maybe. Maybe I just couldn't face researching the psychopathology of rapists during the holidays. Anyway, let me know what you all think of this now. I feel like the story is back on track.

* * *

The team is back at the police station pacing around the evidence boards. Garcia is on speaker.

Hotch: Garcia, how did we not know that Ethan Peltier is a paraplegic?

Garcia: I am so sorry sir. He doesn't have a driver's license anymore so there were no handicapped designations that would clue me in. That is not an excuse. I should have caught it.

Morgan: It's okay, Baby Girl. We've just got to figure out where to go from here.

Prentiss: Right now it seems the billing company is our best lead. Maybe we were just looking at it from the wrong angle.

Det. Barnes: Guys…a body was just discovered. We think it might be related.

* * *

A black SUV pulls up to a police taped area. It is what perhaps was once a parking lot for a now abandoned looking building. It is now overgrown with weeds and littered with garbage. The SUV comes to a stop and Morgan, Rossi, Reid and Det. Barnes climb out of the vehicle. A uniformed officer approaches Det. Barnes. He hands her a plastic evidence bag with a driver's license inside.

Officer: We think this belongs to the victim.

Det. Barnes: Think?

Officer: The condition of the body, well, it's not, um, we can't identify her by photo. But we found this near the body along with a purse.

Rossi takes the ID from Det. Barnes.

Rossi: Christa Hagan. 30 years old and if this is indeed her, she was very pretty.

Reid approaches his colleagues.

Reid: I just spoke to the medical examiner. Identification will have to be by fingerprints or DNA. There's not enough left for dental records to be of any use.

Morgan: First impression, Reid, do you think this is the same unsub?

Reid: It's hard to tell until the autopsy but if it is, he's devolving rapidly.

Rossi: I'm guessing you have built enough of a rapport with the ME that he won't object to you being present for the autopsy?

Reid: I'll let you know if we find anything useful.

* * *

In the morgue, Reid is watching intently as the ME documents the various injuries to the body.

Reid: Can you establish a cause of death?

ME: Blunt force trauma to the head. Most of this happened prior to her death. Many of these stab wounds would have eventually killed her but it was this blow to the head that did it.

Reid: There was a bloody pipe at the scene. These bruise patterns are consistent with that weapon for the beating. It appears he's still taking the knife with him. Sexual assault?

ME: Yes. Very violent and prolonged. We recovered semen. I am sure you will want your lab to compare it to the condom in the previous case.

Reid: Yes. Thank you Doctor.

* * *

In the work space set up for the team, Garcia's image is on the laptop on the desk.

Garcia: Fingerprints confirm the victim was one Christa Hagan.

Hotch: Can you find any history of cosmetic procedures in her medical records?

Garcia: Nothing. I even accessed her dental records. She didn't even have braces as a kid.

Prentiss: He's off script in a big way.

Morgan: We're not going to find him looking at Christa Hagan. It still looks like our best bet is the victimology on the earlier victims. Hey, Baby Girl? Did you find anything on Chelsea McCann to link her to the other women?

Garcia: She had liposuction but her surgeon doesn't use the same billing service.

Hotch: Keep looking Garcia. There has to be something we're missing.

J.J. enters carrying a letter in a plastic evidence bag.

J.J.: This just arrived for us. None of the media outlets have received anything.

Prentiss takes the letter and begins reading.

Prentiss: "There is only one me. This will not stop until they learn. Certainly you cannot stop this. The self-centered shall justly live in fear."

Reid walks in as Prentiss finishes reading. Morgan takes notice of Reid's entrance.

Morgan: Kid, what do you make of it?

Reid takes the letter and looks at it more closely.

Reid: I think we started with one kind of rapist and he's become another.

Rossi: Anger rapist to Anger Excitation?

Reid: Exactly.

Prentiss: Can that even happen?

Reid: Apparently it can since it has. The criteria for each are not that different and overlap in spots. We need to update the police.

Hotch: And J.J., you need to prepare a release.


	6. Chapter 6

I openly admit that this story is kicking my butt in a big way. I think it is mercifully almost done. Hopefully it is more enjoyable to read than it has been to write because I cannot wait to be done with it.

* * *

The team has reassembled in front of local law enforcement to deliver their more detailed profile.

Det. Barnes: I thought we already had the profile.

Hotch: That was a very preliminary profile. We have more to add now which should assist us in finding this unsub. Agent Jareau, our media liaison, is delivering this new profile to the media outlets as we speak.

Prentiss: This unsub resembles components of both an anger rapist and an anger excitation rapist.

Morgan: His initial attacks were almost completely a signature of an anger rapist. With the death of Chelsea McCann we believe he found himself and is now revealing himself as what he really has been all along.

Reid: An anger excitation rapist; a sadist. We saw sadistic traits in him before but nothing to match the level of torture and overkill of Christa Hagan.

Rossi: This started as a statement against cosmetic procedures but now he has devolved to a point where nearly any woman may set him off.

Reid: To reiterate what we told you before, he feels underappreciated at work. Anger excitation rapists are often intelligent and even well educated. Whatever he does for a living, he feels it is beneath him. He is most likely in a relationship and is living somewhat of a double life. He has never assaulted his wife or girlfriend. However, at some point in his life, he has tried to work out some of his fantasies with a more willing partner. This may have been a former girlfriend or perhaps even a prostitute.

Rossi: His wife won't recognize this profile but some woman out there knows him and has felt some unease that she maybe couldn't even place at the time.

Det. Barnes: How did he target the first victims?

Hotch: We're still working on that.

At this statement, Rossi looks a bit unsettled and walks away from the group dialing his phone.

Garcia: What is your wish oh master?

Rossi: Garcia, I need you to help me with a hunch.

Garcia: Lay it on me.

Rossi: My second wife had a couple of, um, procedures. I remember her surgeon sent her to a hotel to recover.

Garcia: I see where you're going here. I shall continue down the yellow brick road and call you if I find anything of interest.

* * *

A short while later, Rossi rushes into the room where the rest of the team is hard at work.

Rossi: I didn't want to distract all of us if this didn't pan out but I had Garcia run down a hunch for me.

Rossi speaks into his phone.

Rossi: You're on speaker with the whole team, Garcia. Tell them what you just told me.

Garcia: Well, my darlings, thanks to Agent Rossi's insight, I have found a connection between our victims not readily apparent in previous searches.

Hotch: Go on.

Garcia: It goes back to the obvious connection of the plastic surgery. It is a fairly common practice for women to recuperate from such procedures at luxury hotels. Not having felt the need myself, and being without sufficient funds even if I wanted to, I did not know this previously.

Reid: But wouldn't hotel records have shown up before?

Garcia: You are so very young and innocent, Reid. You apparently know little of a woman's sense of vanity.

Prentiss: They didn't check in under their real names did they?

Garcia: No they did not.

Morgan: But you found them anyway. You are a wonder.

Garcia: And don't you forget it. They all recovered at the Prescott.

Hotch: And Lisa Adams?

Garcia: She was a regular at the day spa.

Morgan: Now I know you already have the employee records for the Prescott.

Garcia: Actually it is you who already have the employee records for the Prescott. Now can you please find this jerk face and stop him?

Morgan: We'll give it our best shot, baby.


	7. Chapter 7

Two black SUV's are quickly approaching a very lavish looking hotel. Inside one of the vehicles Morgan is driving while Reid scans a very large stack of files in the passenger seat.

Morgan: We're almost there, kid. You get through all those files yet?

Reid: Twice. I've got three possibilities.

Morgan: We've got the manager waiting for us.

* * *

Upon entering the hotel lobby, the team is met by the hotel manager, a man in his late forties wearing a tailored and very expensive looking suit. He holds out a hand to Hotch.

Manager: Harris Barclay. How can I be of assistance?

Hotch shakes Barclay's hand and makes the introductions.

Hotch: Is there somewhere private we can go to discuss this?

Barclay: Actually I'd prefer it.

At this he looks to his guests and employees who are becoming aware of the FBI's presence.

Barclay: My office is this way.

* * *

Inside Barclay's very opulent office the team is seated in consult.

Barclay: I truly do wish to cooperate in any way that I can and I do not want to appear callous. I am however, concerned with our potential for liability here at the Prescott.

Hotch: An unsub like this is a master of deception. His own wife surely doesn't know what he is. We'd be glad to provide any information on the psychopathy of this type of offender that may be useful to your public relations staff. I am sure that with your cooperation you can spin this to show your concern for the safety of your female guests.

Barclay considers Hotch's words and seems satisfied.

Barclay: So how can I help you?

Morgan: We've had a chance to review your employee records and have a few possible suspects.

Rossi: What we'd like is some more personal background information.

Prentiss: Think of anyone who has been out of sorts of late; especially in the last couple of days.

Barclay: We have a great many employees here but I'll give you whatever I can.

Reid: Dean Carson?

Barclay: He heads the front desk on day shifts. He's quiet and early for every shift. He's married with a couple of kids. I don't think he's missed a day of work in two years except for a family vacation to the Grand Canyon last summer.

The agents exchange looks that say this is not the unsub.

Reid: Philip Keegan?

Barclay: Concierge. Married. Seems like he has called in sick the last couple of days. Not that it's a great loss. He does alright work but always acts like he's doing me a favor when he shows up.

Reid: And finally, Seth Warner.

Barclay: He's our chef. He's gay. I think he's been with his partner for three or four years now. He's a large part of the reason we have a five-star rating.

Hotch: Can you call Philip Keegan at home? Make up some work related question you need to ask him. We just want to know if he's home without tipping him off that we're looking for him.

Barclay: Of course.

* * *

The team is standing in the hall outside of Barclay's office attempting to figure their next move. Barclay opens the door with a worried expression.

Barclay: I just spoke to Keegan's wife. She was confused that I would be calling at home since she believed he headed off to work this morning.

Reid: Do you have Keegan's cell number?

Barclay: Yes. Should I try to call him?

Reid: No. I need to give the number to our technical analyst.

Garcia: What's up, kiddo?

Reid: I have a cell number for you to see if you can locate.

Garcia: If it's on I should be able to….And it is. GPS info coming at you.

Reid: Thanks Garcia!

* * *

The team descends on a seedy looking motel; the kind that offers hourly rates. Prentiss, Reid and Morgan wait outside in the parking lot while Rossi and Hotch go into the office. Hotch flashes his badge and a picture of Philip Keegan to the desk clerk who hands him a key to the room. Hotch and Rossi walk out and each holds up four fingers indicating the room number. Morgan takes off on a run in the direction of the room followed by Prentiss and Reid. Morgan kicks open the door and runs in with his gun drawn to find Keegan on the bed straddling a gagged woman. In his hand is a knife that he is holding over the woman as if about to stab her. Morgan dives at the man and tackles him to the ground cuffing him. Prentiss hurries to the woman to remove her gag and try to calm her. Reid calls for an ambulance for the victim. Det. Barnes arrives and Morgan jerks Keegan to his feet and shoves him toward Det. Barnes with disgust.

* * *

The plane is en route back to Quantico.

J.J.'s voice: "Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."-Anne Frank

On the plane Morgan and Rossi are discussing the case.

Rossi: So what was the reason?

Morgan: Well, the trigger went back to his mother dying following plastic surgery but do these guys really need a reason?

Rossi merely shrugs, conceding the point. Reid walks past carrying two large mugs of tea. He goes to where J.J. is sitting. She has files laid out in front of her but is clearly somewhere else in her mind. Reid sits down and sets one cup in front of her.

Reid: J.J.?

J.J.'s head pops up as she is broken out of her trance.

Reid: You okay?

J.J.: Yeah, I guess. No, not really. I will be though. It just sucks sometimes.

Reid: What does?

J.J.: We had nothing to go on until he went off the rails and killed two more women.

Reid nods. He clearly feels bad for J.J. but seems to not know what to say so he simply places his hand over hers on the table. J.J. blinks back tears; moved by his simple show of tenderness. Reid begins to look upset as if he feels he failed at his attempt to comfort his friend. He begins to withdraw his hand but J.J. squeezes it tighter. She gives him a small smile.

J.J.: Thanks, Spence.

******************


End file.
